Sunwing issued a statement 20JUL, advising customers to expect “further delays,” as it works to resolve “unprecedented” staffing issues that have played havoc with its schedule.
The airline attributes a cascading series of flight delays to “unforeseen crew restraints and staffing shortages,” and the “current climate” of air industry challenges.
It’s scrambling to solve the problem, and find "alternate resources” including by “sub-chartering aircraft from other carriers where possible.”
We continue to work through the backlog in flights and have been able to sub-charter aircraft to help support our operations, but customers can expect further delays as a result of unprecedented crew limitations. We’d like to remind our customers of their options:
— Sunwing Vacations (@SunwingVacay) July 20, 2022
In the meantime, Sunwing warns it could take a week to clear the backlog and get its flight schedule back on track.
As a result, it’s telling booked pax that for departure dates until 27JUL, travellers have the option to make a one-time change to their flights and reschedule travel until 01OCT. Sunwing will also waive change fees for those bookings.
Customers can make that one time change to their travel plans through their travel advisor or by contacting Sunwing directly at 1-877-786-9464.
Customers who keep their current travel plans during the upcoming week are “encouraged to sign up for flight alerts on Sunwing.ca for the most up-to-date information on travel times for their departure or return flights.”
It adds anyone flying within the next week “can expect delays to their originally scheduled flight times.”
The airline confirms that pax who incur flight delays over three hours will be compensated accordingly. And it provides a link where Impacted travellers can initiate their compensation claim.